Closing Catedral

                                                                              Searing sunshine, wet snow, blue skies and bonfires by the lake...Springtime in Patagonia is in full bloom. The smell of asado lingers around every corner and it is officially acceptable to drink a cold cerveza anytime after 12 noon. But don't put away your warm clothes just yet because the shadows are like walking into a freezer, the clouds roll in, the wind rips across the lake and it just might snow again.  

The end of ski season in Bariloche is like the last few weeks of college; thought you know great things are to come, it is just plain sad. The snow is melting by the hour, there is a despedida every weekend, and one by one your friends start to disappear, each moving on to their next seasonal job or back home to make a new game plan. This being my first winter in Bari, I had a hard time coping with the fact that it was coming to an end. Regardless of the lack of snow, this was one of the best ski seasons of my life and I could not have been happier to share these past four months as a 'Catedral resident'. I have made lifetime friends here that will outlast any snowfall and that amigos is what life and travel is all about.

empty Catedral

ultima bajada, solita 

last view from the top

LOVE LIFE

no mans land

down to the last drop

sol y mate

Fortunately we are blessed to have quite a few other activities here  to help console that inevitable end of ski season depression...So fire up the parilla, grab the bathing suit (and a jacket for sunset), mate, thermos, guitar and head for the beach, backyard, brewery, or waterfront anything... Viva la primavera!

Caribbean or Nahuel Huapi? 

Anita taking the polar bear plunge

glacier lake mermaid

la dama Noe

Bariloche has been a dream of mine for year but I could have never imagined that is would make such a powerful impact on my heart. There is something undeniably special about this place, something far beyond the turquoise lakes, jagged mountains and endless skies. There is an energy here that resonates within me, a sense of comfort and familiarity that makes me feel at home. I have purposely left much undone and much unexplored because I know that I will be returning to this place time and time again and want to have a new surprise for each visit. I fight back tears with each and every goodbye, and as I set out for new adventures I anxiously await the next return and that first glimpse of Nahuel Huapi on the horizon. To all of you who have made me feel so loved and welcomed here in Bariloche I am forever thankful. Thank you for these unforgettable moments, they will stay with me forever.

crafty :)

tea pot planters, genius

Guanchan on the pariii

Salud!

Alto Asado Che!

where the magic happens

Bruno, the brewmaster

just a bunch of happy folks :)

las tias

co-madres

backyard playtime

backyard feria

backyard beats

nothing but smiles Bariloche, until next time...

A mi querido Bariloche... Te despido con el corazon pesado pero con el alma lleno de amor y gratitud. Gracias por la bienvenida y por la hospitalidad que nunca me faltaba. Gracias por los pocos dias de polvo que me regalaste y por las subidas a la laguna, por las vistas sin limites, el paisaje maravilloso, por los condores que volaban por el Filo, por el sol que me besaba la cara, por el viento qu

e soplaba a la espalda y que siempre me guiaba. Gracias por los innumerables momentos inolvidables y por las personas con quienes los comparti. Gracias por la amistad y alegria que siempre me rodeaba- por las sonrisas, los bailes, las brindas, las caminatas, las bajadas, las estrellas, las nubes, las lunas llenas, por los chocolates y por los asados. Todos esos momentos ya son parte de mi y yo soy parte de ellos. Te despido por ahora Bariloche pero no sera la ultima vez... Hasta la proxima....